Indian Railways is rolling out significant upgrades to its ticketing system, effective July 1, aiming for a fairer and more transparent booking experience for genuine passengers. These changes include stringent Aadhaar authentication for Tatkal tickets and a robust crackdown on unauthorized automated bookings.
From July 1, 2025, Tatkal tickets booked online via IRCTC’s website and app will require Aadhaar-authenticated users. By July 15, 2025, Aadhaar-based OTP authentication becomes mandatory for online Tatkal, while PRS counters and agents will also require OTP verification. Additionally, authorized agents are barred from booking opening-day Tatkal tickets during the first 30 minutes (10-10.30 am for AC; 11-11.30 am for non-AC).
These measures build upon a recent comprehensive digital overhaul. Indian Railways has deployed advanced anti-BOT systems and integrated with a Content Delivery Network (CDN), effectively curbing automated bookings that peaked at 50% of login attempts during Tatkal windows. This overhaul has led to the deactivation of 2.5 crore suspected user IDs and a record 31,814 tickets booked per minute on May 22, 2025.
New user protocols now grant Aadhaar-verified users immediate Tatkal booking access, while others face a 3-day wait for opening ARP/Tatkal. These efforts have boosted daily user logins by nearly 20% and daily bookings by almost 12%, with e-ticketing now accounting for 86.38% of reservations. Passengers are urged to link their Aadhaar to IRCTC profiles for seamless service.
